This paper shows some fundamentals of low enthalpy geothermal energy.It's sources,energy balance,performances,a shallow description of main typologies and a basical overview of the appliance of the ground coupled heat pumps technology in Europe.

En este artículo se describen algunos aspectos básicos de la energía geotérmica de baja entalpía.El origen, balance energético, rendimientos habituales, así como una breve descripción de las principales tipologías y del grado de difusión en Europa de la tecnología del intercambio geotérmico.

THis pre-feasibility study compares several possible solutions (including the conventional one) in order to use geothermal energy and solar thermal energy for heating cooling and producing sanitary hot water for a social house. The building is being restored in order to become a non-residential social house for elderly people.
The building's surface is 580,5m2 and the voulme is 1857,6m3
The heating and cooling capacity are respectively 35kWt and 30kWf
hot water need is 1200 l/day

The study makes a screeening of several diferent possibilities:
a. (conventional solution) gas condensation boiler and condensed air cooling system;
b. ground source heat pump (one, centralised system);
c. several groundsource heat pumps, placed closed to final user;
d. ground source heat pump with cold storage and solar collectors;
e. groundsource heat pump, with hot water production from solar collectors and back up boiler.

All costs are also reported.

Questo studio di prefattibilità confronta alcune possibli soulzioni (inclusa la convenzionale) al fine di utilizzare energia geotermica e solareper il riscaldamento, raffrescamento e l aproduzione di acqua calda in un centro sociale per anziani.
L'edificio ha una superfice di 580,5m2 e un volume di 857,6m3
La potenza termica necessaria è di 35kWt, la potenza frigorifera di picco è 30kWf; il fbbisogno di acqua calda giornaliero è di 1200 l
Nel rapporto si analizzano alcune soluzioni di base:
a. caldaia a gas a condensazione per la produzione dell’acqua calda e macchina frigorifera condensata ad aria per la produzione dell’acqua fredda (soluzione convenzionale);
b. pompa di calore a geoscambio (unica centralizzata);
c. pompe di calore a geoscambio (varie, localizzate in prossimità delle utenze);
d. pompa di calore a geoscambio con accumulo freddo e collettori solari;
e. pompe di calore a geoscambio, con produzione di acqua calda sanitaria tramite collettori solari e caldaietta o boiler integrativo.

Sono riportati anche tutti i costi.

This report is a preliminary project for an air treatment system in order to ensure the standard comfort in terms of fresh air in a small ballroom ( almost 500m3; average number of dancers = 50).
The report contains the room's plan and the technical features of the recuperator; the fresh air flux is of 3000m3/h and allow to recover the heat from the outgoing exahusted air with a minimum efficiency of 50%.
Also installation costs are reported.

Questo studio di prefattibilità riguarda un impianto di trattamnto dell'aria che assicuri gli standard di comfort interni in termini di ricamio d'aria, in una piccola sala da ballo (500m3 e un numero medio di persone =50).
Il documento contiene la descrizione e le piante della stanzae le caratteristiche tecniche del recupertore; il flusso d'aria fresca entrante è di 300m3/h e permette di recuperare il calore dall'aria viziata in uscita con un efficienza minima del 50%.
Sono riportati anche i costi di installazione

This document is a guideline to solar thermal and biomass heating systems and has been prepared within the scope of the EU project ACCESS, funded under the Intelligent Energy-Europe Programme.
This document gives an outline into the technology of solar thermal systems, biomass small-scale heating systems and the combination of both. Furthermore, it gives an overview of the economical and environmental aspects of the combined solar thermal and wood heating systems.

Този документ е въведение към системи за отопление, оползотворяващи енергията от слънцето и от изгаряне на дървесни пелети. Документът е подготвен в рамките на проект ACCESS, финансиран по програмата Интелигентна енергия за Европа.
Документът включва обзор на слънчевите системи, на отоплителните системи на биомаса, както и на комбинацията от двете. Също така, е включен икономически анализ и анализ на въздействието върху околната среда.

Heating demands have a share of nearly 50% in EU final energy consumption, while transport and electricity have shares of some 30% and 20%, respectively. Overall targets for the use of renewable energy sources (RES) have been set with the White Paper of 1997: the share of RES in gross EU consumption should be 12% by 2010. By 2003 EU Directives had been adopted for RES promotion in the electricity (RES E) and transport sectors (biofuels). The Directives include national and EU targets in terms of RES share in EU energy consumption, overall 6% to be contributed by RES in electricity and 1% by biofuels. Consequently, the difference of 5% can only be contributed by the heating sector, though this has not been addressed by any Directive at that time. In March 2007 the Council declared a binding objective of a 20% RES share in EU overall energy consumption, including a 10% minimum share of biofuels in overall transport consumption, but leaving open the distribution between heating and the other sectors.

Heating demands have a share of nearly 50% in EU final energy consumption, while transport and electricity have shares of some 30% and 20%, respectively. Overall targets for the use of renewable energy sources (RES) have been set with the White Paper of 1997: the share of RES in gross EU consumption should be 12% by 2010. By 2003 EU Directives had been adopted for RES promotion in the electricity (RES E) and transport sectors (biofuels). The Directives include national and EU targets in terms of RES share in EU energy consumption, overall 6% to be contributed by RES in electricity and 1% by biofuels. Consequently, the difference of 5% can only be contributed by the heating sector, though this has not been addressed by any Directive at that time. In March 2007 the Council declared a binding objective of a 20% RES share in EU overall energy consumption, including a 10% minimum share of biofuels in overall transport consumption, but leaving open the distribution between heating and the other sectors.

Ammonia has been used as refrigerant for more than one hundred years and is well known for giving highly energy efficient systems. Compared to most other refrigerants systems with ammonia have some peculiarities which are specific to this refrigerant: The systems cannot be designed in copper as ammonia is corrosive to this metal. Instead, steel piping is usually used. Most oils are not miscible with ammonia, leading to separation of the oil from the refrigerant. Therefore specific precautions have to be made to arrange for the oil return. This tends to make the systems more complex, and may have been a hindrance for the introduction of ammonia in small systems.

Ammonia has been used as refrigerant for more than one hundred years and is well known for giving highly energy efficient systems. Compared to most other refrigerants systems with ammonia have some peculiarities which are specific to this refrigerant: The systems cannot be designed in copper as ammonia is corrosive to this metal. Instead, steel piping is usually used. Most oils are not miscible with ammonia, leading to separation of the oil from the refrigerant. Therefore specific precautions have to be made to arrange for the oil return. This tends to make the systems more complex, and may have been a hindrance for the introduction of ammonia in small systems.

The use of renewable energy systems for both domestic and industrial heating and cooling applications has received relatively little attention compared with renewable electricity or transport biofuels. Where a good biomass, geothermal or solar thermal resource exists, heating technologies can often be competitive with those using fossil fuels. In a few countries their natural deployment has occurred with little if any policy support, resulting in greenhouse gas reductions. Elsewhere, several of the few national policies in place to remove barriers and
encourage the greater deployment of renewable heat, (such as from using wood-burning boilers, geothermal ground-heat pumps, and solar water heaters) have proved to be cost-effective, yet other countries have been slow to replicate them. In regions where cooling has a greater energy demand than heating, especially during peak summer periods, renewable energy cooling systems show good potential for further development.

The use of renewable energy systems for both domestic and industrial heating and cooling applications has received relatively little attention compared with renewable electricity or transport biofuels. Where a good biomass, geothermal or solar thermal resource exists, heating technologies can often be competitive with those using fossil fuels. In a few countries their natural deployment has occurred with little if any policy support, resulting in greenhouse gas reductions. Elsewhere, several of the few national policies in place to remove barriers and
encourage the greater deployment of renewable heat, (such as from using wood-burning boilers, geothermal ground-heat pumps, and solar water heaters) have proved to be cost-effective, yet other countries have been slow to replicate them. In regions where cooling has a greater energy demand than heating, especially during peak summer periods, renewable energy cooling systems show good potential for further development.

This report reviews gas engine driven heat pumps and gas fired absorption heat pumps that are alternative technologies to electrical driven heat pumps. Such type of heat pumps could use biogas instead of natural gas or liquefied petrol gas, or even wood for absorption machine. Direct use of solar energy is also possible. Greth, ESS have contributed to this report.

This report reviews gas engine driven heat pumps and gas fired absorption heat pumps that are alternative technologies to electrical driven heat pumps. Such type of heat pumps could use biogas instead of natural gas or liquefied petrol gas, or even wood for absorption machine. Direct use of solar energy is also possible. Greth, ESS have contributed to this report.

This report, in the frame of the European Therra project, aims in proposing common methods to be used in different European countries for the assessment of renewable energy contribution in thermal applications.

This report, in the frame of the European Therra project, aims in proposing common methods to be used in different European countries for the assessment of renewable energy contribution in thermal applications.

Goal of this contribution is to draw a picture about some general issues for using solar thermal energy for air conditioning of buildings. The following topics are covered:
- A basic analysis of the thermodynamic limits for the use of heat cooling in combination with solar thermal energy is drawn; thereby fundamental insights about control needs for solar thermal driven cooling are obtained.
- A short overview about the state-of-the-art of available technologies, such as closed thermal driven cooling cycles (e.g. absorption, adsorption) and open cooling cycles (e.g. desiccant employing either solid or liquid sorbents) is given and needs and perspectives for future developments are described.
- The state-of-the-art of application of solar assisted air-conditioning in Europe is given and some example installations are presented.
- An overview about new developments of open and closed heat driven cooling cycles for application in combination with solar thermal collectors is given and some of these new systems are outlined more in detail.

Goal of this contribution is to draw a picture about some general issues for using solar thermal energy for air conditioning of buildings. The following topics are covered:
- A basic analysis of the thermodynamic limits for the use of heat cooling in combination with solar thermal energy is drawn; thereby fundamental insights about control needs for solar thermal driven cooling are obtained.
- A short overview about the state-of-the-art of available technologies, such as closed thermal driven cooling cycles (e.g. absorption, adsorption) and open cooling cycles (e.g. desiccant employing either solid or liquid sorbents) is given and needs and perspectives for future developments are described.
- The state-of-the-art of application of solar assisted air-conditioning in Europe is given and some example installations are presented.
- An overview about new developments of open and closed heat driven cooling cycles for application in combination with solar thermal collectors is given and some of these new systems are outlined more in detail.